Fighting P the Far North way

P-free heroes Jason Reti (left) and Shane (Smash) Hamera have top billing for Saturday's Fight the P Fight Night.

Aupouri Ngatikahu Te Rarawa Trust CEO Hone Harawira can hardly wait for Saturday night.

The trust, in association with Open the Curtains (OTC) and the Tangonge Park Committee are staging their Fight the P Fight Night at Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, to raise funds for the park.

"It's been a while coming," Mr Harawira said.

"Over the past year and a half I've been to a number of hui and tangi where P has been at the centre of the chaos - people who'd been killed for it or who'd bashed some poor prick or were on the run from P debts, you name it.

"P is a vicious, nasty drug. It destroys people's ability to think rationally, it causes massive friction within whanau, and it breaks down trust in communities when addicts start lying, stealing, borrowing, bullying, bashing and bludging off those closest to them to feed their habit.

And it shows no respect whatsoever for whanaungatanga, or any of the other principles of Maoridom that help keep people safe during tough times.

"I wanted to try to do something different, to take the whole issue away from just arresting people and trying to get rehab. Government made a big splash by announcing a few million bucks to deal with the problem, but health boards hiring more counsellors and police chiefs hiring more cops ain't going to change nothing. I think even they know it's going to take something different.

"And as for rehabilitation - well, we've got more than 1000 P heads in the North and we only have five rehab beds"

So Mr Harawira called a hui in Kaikohe last year to look at how the harm being caused by meth could be reduced, and the Fight Night grew from that. He accepted that it was no magic bullet, but it was a way of taking an important message to a different audience.

"The Fight Night is really only possible because of Jason Reti, who is working for OTC on helping get Tangonge Park developed for our kids down Bonnetts Road," he said. "Jase has good credibility in boxing and mixed-martial arts, and has been the central player in driving this kaupapa forward.

He's training a lot of the guys, he's organised the fight card, and he's worked his backside off to get things to where they are.

"We're expecting a big crowd, so we're holding it up at the kura, and because Aniwaniwa is an alcohol-free, smoke-free and drug-free environment, we're asking that everyone respects that. We're also asking people to respect the fact that in line with legislation, gang insignia is prohibited at Aniwaniwa too.

"And because the kaupapa is 'Fight the P,' all fighters have agreed to be tested on the day. That's great, because we get to celebrate our own P-free heroes from within our own community.

"We've got all sorts of people coming and I'm looking forward to it being a great night. It's a great cause"

Tickets ($20) on eventfinda and from OTC, 60 North Road, Kaitaia.